The high temperatures of recent days and the strong Sirocco winds that cross the Mediterranean once again put the island of Sicily, southern Italy,on alert for more than 40 fires declared in the last hours.
The proximity of the flames to the city of Palermo, the most populated on the island, forced the evacuation of a university campus while its ring road and some highways on the outskirts of the town are also blocked by fires, local media reported.
The situation is reminiscent of the fires that devastated the island last July, in the middle of the Charon heat wave that forced the closure of the Palermo airport, surrounded by flames, and caused the death of at least three elderly people who could not be evacuated in time.
On this occasion the fire reached the campus of the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry of the University of Palermo, as seen in videos uploaded by students to social networks on Friday afternoon.
The A20 highway, which connects Palermo with Messina, is also closed due to a fire between the cities of Castelbuono and Cefalú, a scene that is repeated in Castellammare del Golfo, where traffic remains closed in both directions.
The strong wind is preventing extinguishing efforts while the flames devour cars, industrial warehouses and rural homes.
On Friday afternoon, the state air fleet received 14 requests to extinguish fires in Sicily, in addition to another 3 in Calabria, in the south of the Italian peninsula.
For their part, the provinces of Palermo, Messina and Trapani remain on red alert due to high risk of fires and in some municipalities they have decreed the closure of schools due to the high temperatures caused by the proximity of the fires.
“The intense work carried out by the aircraft pilots has so far allowed 10 fires to be controlled or extinguished. The activities of launching water and retardant and extinguishing liquid will continue as long as lighting conditions allow safe operations,” Civil Protection reported in a statement. .
EFE
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